Quarrel, combat, danger, ruin, destruction of plans, sudden death, escape from prison.
פ
ATU XVI
ATU XVI La Maison Dieu
The Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty
La Maison Dieu
The Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty
Here, we have a lesson against avarice. This card represents a tower, which one calls the House of God, that is, the highest house; it is a tower filled with gold, it is the castle of Plutus: it collapses in ruins, and its adorers fall crushed under its remains.
With this card, one can understand the history of this Egyptian prince about which Herodotus speaks, and which he calls Rhampsinitus, who, having made a large tower of stone to contain his treasures, and of which he only had the key, noticed however that they were diminishing under his very gaze, without anyone passing in any manner through the only door which existed in this building.
To discover such skilful robbers, this prince proceeded to set traps around the vases which held his riches. The robbers were two sons of the architect who served Rhampsinitus: he had rigged a stone in such a manner, that it was possible to remove it and enter to steal at will without fear of capture. He taught its secret to his children who made use of it marvelously as one sees. They robbed the prince, and then they left the tower at the bottom: thus they are represented here.
It is in truth the most beautiful part of the History; one will find in Herodotus the remainder of this clever tale: how one of the two brothers was taken in the nets: how he urged his brother to cut his head off: how their mother demanded that her son bring back the body of his brother: how he went with goatskin bottles loaded on an ass to steal the corpse from the guards at the palace: how, after they had taken his goatskin bottles in spite of his cunning tears, and had fallen asleep, he shaved off from all of them the right side of their beards, and he removed the body of his brother: how the king extremely astonished, urged his daughter to compel each of her lovers to reveal to her the cleverest trick which they had ever done: how this devious youth went near the beautiful one, told her all that he had done: how the beautiful one having wanted to detain him, had seized only one false arm: how, to complete this great adventure, and to lead it to a happy end, this king promised in marriage his same daughter to the clever young man who had played him so well, as the person worthiest of her; which was carried out to the great satisfaction of all.
I do not know if Herodotus took this tale for a real history; but people able to invent similar romances or Milesian Fables, could very easily invent any game.
This tale brings back another fact which proves what we said in the history of the calendar, that statues of giants that appear in various festivals, almost always designate the seasons. It says that Rhampsinitus, the same prince of which we came to speak, caused to be raised in the north and the south of the temple of Vulcan two statues of twenty-five cubits, one titled Summer and the other Winter: they adored the one, and sacrificed, on the contrary, to the other: it is thus like the savages who recognize the good principle and admire it, but who sacrifice only to the bad.
With this card, one can understand the history of this Egyptian prince about which Herodotus speaks, and which he calls Rhampsinitus, who, having made a large tower of stone to contain his treasures, and of which he only had the key, noticed however that they were diminishing under his very gaze, without anyone passing in any manner through the only door which existed in this building.
To discover such skilful robbers, this prince proceeded to set traps around the vases which held his riches. The robbers were two sons of the architect who served Rhampsinitus: he had rigged a stone in such a manner, that it was possible to remove it and enter to steal at will without fear of capture. He taught its secret to his children who made use of it marvelously as one sees. They robbed the prince, and then they left the tower at the bottom: thus they are represented here.
It is in truth the most beautiful part of the History; one will find in Herodotus the remainder of this clever tale: how one of the two brothers was taken in the nets: how he urged his brother to cut his head off: how their mother demanded that her son bring back the body of his brother: how he went with goatskin bottles loaded on an ass to steal the corpse from the guards at the palace: how, after they had taken his goatskin bottles in spite of his cunning tears, and had fallen asleep, he shaved off from all of them the right side of their beards, and he removed the body of his brother: how the king extremely astonished, urged his daughter to compel each of her lovers to reveal to her the cleverest trick which they had ever done: how this devious youth went near the beautiful one, told her all that he had done: how the beautiful one having wanted to detain him, had seized only one false arm: how, to complete this great adventure, and to lead it to a happy end, this king promised in marriage his same daughter to the clever young man who had played him so well, as the person worthiest of her; which was carried out to the great satisfaction of all.
I do not know if Herodotus took this tale for a real history; but people able to invent similar romances or Milesian Fables, could very easily invent any game.
This tale brings back another fact which proves what we said in the history of the calendar, that statues of giants that appear in various festivals, almost always designate the seasons. It says that Rhampsinitus, the same prince of which we came to speak, caused to be raised in the north and the south of the temple of Vulcan two statues of twenty-five cubits, one titled Summer and the other Winter: they adored the one, and sacrificed, on the contrary, to the other: it is thus like the savages who recognize the good principle and admire it, but who sacrifice only to the bad.
| Also see ATU XVI: La Maison Dieu according to: | ||||
| Tarot de Marseilles (Gebelin) | Eliphas Levi | Golden Dawn (Regardie) | Aleister Crowley | Frater Achad |
777 for key 27
I
Key Scale 27
II
Hebrew Names of Numbers and Letters Pé
III
English of Col. II. Mouth
VII
English of Col. VI. Mars
X
Mystic Numbers of the Sephiroth 378
XII
The Tree of Life Pathjoins 7–8
XIII
The Paths of the Sepher Yetzirah Exciting I.
XIV
General Attribution of Tarot The House of God
XV
The King Scale of Colour (y) Scarlet
XVI
The Queen Scale of Colour (h) Red
XVII
The Emperor Scale of Colour (v) Venetian red
XVIII
The Empress Scale of Colour (#) Bright red rayed azure or orange
XIX
Selection of Egyptian Gods Horus
XX
Complete Practical Attribution of Egyptian Gods Menqu
XXI
The Perfected Man Khenti-Khas—the Right Nostril
XXII
Small selection of Hindu Deities [[Krishna]]
XXIII
The Forty Buddhist Meditations Putrid Corpse I
XXXIII
Some Scandinavian Gods Tuisco
XXXIV
Some Greek Gods Ares, [[Athena]]
XXXV
Some Roman Gods Pan, Vesta, Bacchus
XXXVI
Selection of Christian Gods (10); Apostles (12); Evangelists (4) and Churches of Asia (7). Pergamos
XXXVIII
Animals, Real and Imaginary. Horse, Bear, Wolf [[Boar]]
XXXIX
Plants, Real and Imaginary Absinthe, Rue
XL
Precious Stones Ruby, any red stone
XLI
Magical Weapons The Sword
XLII
Perfumes Pepper, Dragon’s Blood, all Hot Pungent Odours
XLV
Magical Powers [Western Mysticism] Works of Wrath and Vengeance
XLVI
System of Taoism Kan
XLIX
Lineal Figures of the Planets, &c., and Geomany Pentagram
L
Transcendental Morality. [10 Virtues (1-10), 7 Sins (Planets), 4 Magick Powers (Elements).] Cruelty [Wrath]
LI.II
Numeration of Col. LI. 80
LI.III
English equivalent of Col. LI. P
LIII
The Greek Alphabet Π π
LXXVII
The Planets and their Numbers Mars - 5
LXXX
Olympic Planetary Spirits Phaleg
LXXXI
Metals Iron
LXXXII
The Noble Eightfold Path Samma Vayamo
LXXXIII
bar Left Lower Point
CLXXV
Hebrew Letters פ ף
CLXXVI
Numerical Value of Col. CLXXV. 80 800
CLXXVII
Geomantic Intelligences Zamael
CLXXIX
Numbers printed on Tarot Trumps 16
CLXXX
Title of Tarot Trumps The Lord of the Hosts of the Mighty.
CLXXXI
Correct Design of Tarot Trumps A tower struck by forked lightning *
CLXXXII
The Human Body Muscular System
CLXXXIII
Legendary Orders of Being Furies, Chimæras, Boars (as in Calydon), &c.
CLXXXIV
Numeration of Arabic Alphabet 80
CLXXXV
Numeration of Greek Alphabet 80
CLXXXVI
Diseases (Typical) Inflammation
CXCII
English of Col. LXXXII Right Energy
CXCIII
Spirits of the Planets (transliteration) Bartzabel
CXCIV
Intelligences of the Planets (transliteration) Graphiel